I have to admit that I have never tried Stollen, I have seen it in the shops but it never took my fancy. Then I saw this recipe, the picture looked so nice that it inspired me to give it a go and I am so pleased that I did, its lovely and I will now be trying out other Stollen recipes.

I already have ideas on how to improve this recipe, for example, the marzipan balls sit like a lump in the dough waiting to surprise you, I think it may be better chopped into small pieces and kneaded into the dough like the sultana’s are. Also other recipes I have found have other dried fruits in, glace cherries, candied peel, so apart from the peel, I think I will be adding a few of these next time. You can make this to your own taste, adding & taking away what you wish, for me it will be taking out the candied peel & cloves, I can not stand the little beast and adding glace cherries and flaked almonds.

Also to decorate it says to give a light dusting of icing sugar, which looks lovely, but I may also try a simple icing of icing sugar & maybe lemon juice, drizzled over the top and then a scattering of almond flakes to finish.

I will also be making them for gifts, I think with a beautiful tartan bow & a little holly, presented in a lovely gift box, this would be a great gift. Also on a stunning cake stand in the middle of a table with a Christmas themed flower decoration and candles, what a dinner party or Christmas afternoon tea showpiece.

What ever happens, this will now become a Christmas staple and tradition for us and I am looking forward to enjoying it a round the Christmas tree with a nice glass of mulled wine, that is if I can put up with Hubby’s lame jokes about it being stolen !!!!

Buo appetito

450g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon caster sugar
½ x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
¼tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 large pinches ground cloves (I left these out as I hate them with a passion)
1 teaspoon mixed spice
225 ml milk
40g butter, melted, plus a little extra to grease
2 medium eggs
50g sultanas
100g to 150g marzipan
Icing sugar for dusting

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, ¼tsp salt and the three spices. Make a well in the centre.

In a pan, heat the milk until lukewarm, then stir in the melted butter.

Crack one egg into the well of dry ingredients and pour in half of the milk mixture. Working quickly with your hands, mix thoroughly to form a soft but not sticky dough, adding extra milk as necessary. I of course cheated and used my Artisan.

Tip out dough on to a floured work surface, then knead for 5min until soft and elastic (again done by he lovely Artisan). Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise somewhere warm but not hot for 45min.

Knead in the sultanas. Weigh the dough and divide into 10 equal pieces. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6.

Knead marzipan until soft, then cut into 10 pieces. Using your fingers, flatten out one of the pieces of dough slightly, then put a marzipan chunk in the middle. Fold the dough around it, then squeeze together to make a neat ball. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Position the balls in a circle, just touching, on the baking sheet. Use the remaining egg to glaze the ring, then bake for 20-25min until golden.

Leave to cool on the baking tray as the stollen ring is quite fragile at this stage.

Carefully transfer to a serving platter or wooden board. Dust with icing sugar and serve with butter – fantastic for breakfast or as a festive tea-time treat.

To freeze ahead:
Complete the recipe to the end of step 4. Leaving the stolen on the baking sheet, wrap the whole sheet in clingfilm, then freeze for up to one month. To serve, defrost at room temperature, then complete as step 5.